


A Helping Hand

by intergalxtic



Series: Hatchetfield Hogwarts AU [1]
Category: Hatchetfield Universe - Team StarKid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship, also fuck jkr and all terfs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29448945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intergalxtic/pseuds/intergalxtic
Summary: “So, why are you reading up on quidditch?”“Reasons. I need to get better, mostly.”If there was one thing Paul knew about quidditch, it’s that Emma was good at it.“You’re already good.” He exclaimed, and Emma shot him a confused glance, not used to the praise.“You've been watching me, Paul?” She smirked.Paul, Hufflepuff's resident "boring guy" runs into Emma, a chaser on the Slytherin quidditch team.
Relationships: Paul Matthews & Emma Perkins, Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins
Series: Hatchetfield Hogwarts AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2163132
Comments: 16
Kudos: 22





	A Helping Hand

The Hogwarts hallways are lonely on Christmas. Every year, almost every student in the school leaves to see their family, open presents, eat delicious food… Almost every student. Bill, Charlotte, even Ted went home, leaving Paul alone. There were only a couple hufflepuffs left, some fifth years he’d never met, and never planned on meeting. 

He wanted to spend most of his break in the library, catching up on some reading before classes start back up. Paul liked being ahead. Made him stress a little less, and made his professors happy. Especially Professor Davidson, who’d never let him live down the time he forgot to hand in his essay about the types of spells in the first year. First year! Who even remembers stuff from that?

No matter how many times he’d been, he would always be intimidated by the sheer amount of books. His parents took him to many libraries as a kid, none of them as big as this one. When he first stumbled in, he stood at the entrance in shock until Professor Webby came and told him it was time for dinner. Good times.

Paul scampered through the shelves, trying to find a book on mastering advanced charms, when he spotted a girl struggling to reach the high shelves. He almost walked straight past but he recognised her, from some of his classes, among other places. Now, what was her name? Emma, he thought, strumming his fingers against the frame of the shelf. He’d only spoken to her in class a few times, but enough to know helping her wouldn’t be out of the blue. Paul whipped around, stepping awkwardly into the small walkway.

“Do you want some help?” Paul asked, Emma snapped her head to him, locking eyes. He looked away. “Reaching the book, that is.”

“Yes please, I’ve been trying for  _ ages… _ It’s the one with the purple spine.” She groaned, leaping off the bottom shelf. “They make these fucking things so tall, and don’t give us stools! Who does that?”

“Hogwarts, I suppose.” He replied nonchalantly, pulling the book out of the shelf. He scanned the front cover, a smile forming on his face. “Quidditch through the ages? I thought that book was a requirement.”

“Yeah, it is, but I lost it and my parents sure as hell aren’t buying me a new one.” Emma shrugged, placing the book under her arm. “I don’t have the money. Anyways, it’s only this one, I have the other ones.”

“There are other ones?” Paul asked. He didn’t know much about quidditch, nothing at all, really. He’d been to a couple games that Ted dragged him along to, however the thought of being up in the air made him sick to his stomach.

“Of course, dummy.” Emma chuckled, brushing past, but stopping a few metres behind him. “Walk with me.”

“Okay.” He uttered, rushing to catch up with her. Man, she was a fast walker, he could already feel himself running out of air. “So, why are you reading up on quidditch?”

“Reasons. I need to get better, mostly.”

If there was one thing Paul knew about quidditch, it’s that Emma was good at it. Most of the games Ted would bring him to, would be slytherin matches, or Emma’s house. He would always be drawn to her, so graceful and fierce in the air. Paul’s stomach swirled at the thought, yet it wasn’t a sick feeling.

“You’re already good.” He exclaimed, and Emma shot him a confused glance, not used to the praise.

“You've been watching me, Paul?” She smirked, Paul flushed a red deeper than the Gryffindor uniform. Oh fuck.

“You know my name?” He muttered, taken aback. Paul wasn’t exactly popular. He slyly brushed his hand through his hair, neatening a few wispies in the process. 

“Of course I know your name, we’ve gone to school together for five years. Besides, I know Ted. Who by the way, is a huge pain in the ass.” Emma sighed, halting by a table in the corner of the library. The book fell onto the table with a loud thud, echoing against the walls. 

“Trust me, I know.” Paul dropped into the chair, Emma quickly copying. She briefly glanced into his eyes, softly smiling. Had her eyes always been that pretty?

“Does he ever shut up? It’s like, we get it, you got another detention for trying to prank Bill…” Emma trailed off, frowning. She shoved the book open to the contents page. “I don’t even know what I’m looking for.”

“Maybe I can help you?” Paul offered. Emma pondered for a moment.

“It wouldn’t hurt…” 

Paul was stoic on the outside, but on the inside he was shocked. Independent Emma Perkins, allowing him to help? Woah. He rotated the book to face him, examining the contents. “If you want new techniques, I suggest going to the ‘famous players’ section. That might have something.”

“Oh, smart. I’ll get on that.” Emma snatched the book right out of his grasp, but as she was about to read, she paused. “You can go.”

Paul raised his eyebrows. “I don’t particularly want to.” Staying with Emma would ease his lonely-ness. And, she made him smile, something rare. He reached into his bag and took out his own book, “One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi”.

“Well, you don’t have to, I just thought… nevermind.” Emma shook her head slightly, getting stuck into her reading, and Paul got stuck into his. 

The two sat in silence for a while, reading their respective books. Herbology wasn’t Paul’s best subject, though he found it interesting enough to care. He didn’t bring any parchment to write notes, and they weren’t allowed muggle highlighters in the school, so he was stuck with only his memory until later. 

It was quiet until Emma started grumbling, smacking her head on the desk. Paul snapped his head up from the book, concerned.

“What’s the matter?” He inquired.

“I have so much work this semester.” Oh. That was out of nowhere. She propped herself up by her elbows. “Hidgens won’t let me drop any classes, and I need to work on my Quidditch-”

“Why do you need to get better so much? Like I said before, you’re already the best on the team.” He interrupted.

“Oh…” Emma dropped her head, hiding the blush forming on her cheeks, but she wasn’t smiling. Her shoulders noticeably tensed. When she looked up, her eyes were glossy.  “Quidditch is the one thing I’m good at that Jane wasn’t. It’s the one thing where I’m not in her shadow.”

Jane. Everyone knew Jane. The school prodigy, the one who passed everything with flying colours. Jane, who every teacher praised and borrowed her old work for examples. Jane, always compared to her sister, Emma. How could he forget? The whole school knew. Maybe…

Would it be silly to consider asking? Emma often shot down anyone who dared ask. Most independent in all of Hogwarts. It wouldn’t hurt to suggest.

“Let me help you.” Paul once again offered, odd as it was. Paul would rarely offer help, especially to someone he barely knew. Something was pulling him towards her, he wasn’t sure what just yet.

“Really?” Emma’s eyebrows furrowed, her face somewhere between confused or disgusted. He expected the cold response, he didn’t let it throw him off course.

“Yeah. I have a lot of free time. And I don’t know much about Quidditch, but I can help you practise.” Paul said, closing the herbology book.

“I can handle it myself, I’m not helpless.” Emma pressed her lips into a tight line, defensively.

“Everyone can use some help now and then.” Paul rebutted. “Even you.”

“What do you want in return?” Emma rests her chin on her knuckles, clearly expecting some kind of asshole-y request. 

“Nothing.” Paul replied simply. Emma stared at him like he was stupid. Paul wasn’t many things, and fortunately, a creep wasn’t one of them.

“Come on, man. There must be something.” She pushed, but no avail.

“I’ve never wanted much of anything in my life, but I want to help you.” He stated with confidence, more than he had ever experienced. “Anything you need, I’m here.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

The two spent the rest of the day talking about plans, and Paul invited her to sit next to her at dinner, which was roast chicken and salad. Not his favourite dinner, but he was too thrilled that Emma wanted to talk to him, the most seemingly boring guy in school! Too good to be true. And as Paul walked back to his dorm that night after spending his evening with Emma, he finally understood the warmth in his chest and the butterflies in his stomach when he looked at her.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> if you follow me on tumblr (same username), you probably know i've been planning this AU for a little bit. This will most likely be series of one shots/short stories with a vague storyline. (search up "hogwarts!au" on my tumblr page for the moodboards and character houses)
> 
> kudos and comments are always appreciated!!
> 
> thank you :)


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